Clasp for pocketbooks



A. SAVASTANO.

CLASP FOR POCKETBOOKS. APPLIQATION FILED DEC.29| 1919.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

INVENTOR; Anioizwlarwfimo.

BY i Y %TORNEYS.

PATENT OFFICE.

ANTONIO SAVASTANO, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CLASP FOR rooxn'rnooxs.

Application filed December 29, 1919.

To all w 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTONIO SAvAs'rANo, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clasps for Pocketbooks,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clasps for hand books, pocket books, purses or similar receptacles and has for its primary object the provision of a structure of this character which will operate as a positive clasp to hold the receptacle against opening accidentally, while permitting the same to be freely opened by hand as desired.

With the above and other objects in View which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangements of parts Which will hereinafter be fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, has been illustrated, a single and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitations are necessarily made to the precise structural details therein ex hibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hand book showing the application of the invention thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough showing the frame sections closed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the latch,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the keeper.

In carrying the invention into practice, use is made of a frame consisting of hinge sections 5 and 6 of the kind generally used upon hand bags or similar receptacles, the receptacle body 7 being joined to the hinge sections 5 and 6 in any suitable well known manner.

The section 5 is provided with a casing or plate 8 which is soldered or otherwise suitably secured to the inner face of said section 5 and as illustrated, said casing is provided with a base flange 9 having lugs upstruck therefrom as at 10. Arranged in the receptacle is a latch 11, the same formed of a single piece of spring wire. bowed at 12, offset at 13-13 and provided with active latching portions or branches 14 and 15/ The lugs are bent over the bowed branch Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Serial N0. 348,131.

12 at the juncture thereof with the vertical sides 16-16 of the latch. These ends 1616 are normally arranged in free contact with the end walls 1717 of said casing. The upper end of the casing is opened and as illustrated, the branches 14 and are extended through said opening and through a recess 18 i'n'the flange 5 of said frame section 5. The said branches 14 and 15 are preferably threaded at 18 and engaged with the threads are manipulating knobs 19. These knobs can be of any suitable ornamental character which will add attractiveness to the article.

The section (3 of the receptacle frame is provided with a keeper 20 having spaced end lugs 21 and 22 which project in the direction of the section 5 and the same are disposed in the path of the branches 14 and 15 of the latch member hereinbefore described. The free ends of the lugs 21 are hooked to provide keeper shoulders 23 behind which the branches 14 and 15 are adapted to engage when the book is closed. The surfaces 24 of the lugs are inclined in the direction of the shoulders 23 so as to facilitate the guiding of the branches 14 and 15 at the back of said shoulders.

The space between the shoulders 23 of the lugs 21 and 22 is less than the normal distance between the relatively springy branches 14 and 15 of the latch member so that when closing the hand book the said branches will freely ride over said surfaces 24 and operatively engage behind the shoulders 23 in substantially an automatic manner.

The. branches 14 and 15 are arranged in the same horizontal plane with each other and when it is desired to open the hand book, the user simply presses the manipulating ends 19 together permitting the said branches to be operatively released from said shoulders By bowing the spring latch as described and shown at 12, and by confining the ends of the latch through action of the lugs 10, maximum spring action is given the latch so as to cause the same to positively remain seated with the keeper when the bag is closed and thereby prevent accidental opening of the bag.

What is claimed as new is f- 1. A pocket book including a frame formed of hinged sections. a latch carried by one of said sections, said latch constituting a casing having a bottomwall, a side wall,

the latter, and a keeper carried by said other section of said frame and having means adapted to co-act with said branches to hold the sections of the said frame closed, one against the other. i r

2. A pocket book including a frame formed of hinged sections, a latch carried by one of said sections, said latch constituting a casing having a bottom wall, a side wall, and ends walls, a single length of wire having relatively movable branches extended through the joint between said sections, manipulating heads carried by the free ends of the movable branches, the vertical portions of said movable branches normally arranged in free contact with the end walls of said casing, a bowed portion connecting the vertical portions of said movable branches, lugs struck out of the bottom wall of said casing and arranged in confinement with said bowed portion at the ends of the latter, and a U-shaped keeper carried 1 by said other frame, hooks formed on the free ends of said U-shapcd keeper to engage the said movable branches to hold the sections of the said frame closed, one against the other.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

ANTONIO SAVASTANO. 

